Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Everybody saw this coming.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

We still have time to mess this up!

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

People are complicated. Love is not.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2012 / It’s 2012, So You Know What That Means

It’s 2012, So You Know What That Means

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Time to start fundraising for Obama. I just ordered a Made in the USA mug and a bumper sticker and yard sign from the BO website, but I’ve also set up an ActBlue for him which I will use for the rest of the year:

Goal Thermometer

I went with 100k because I figure we have the whole year and why the hell not be ambitious.

Also too, here is one for Warren, which really is a much more important fight than a lot of people realize, because control of the Senate really is in play:

Goal Thermometer

Have at it.

Reader Interactions

92Comments

  3. 3.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-government/obama-sidesteps-gop-opposition-to-install-3-members-on-national-labor-relations-board/2012/01/04/gIQA7apyaP_story.html

    President Barack Obama recess-appointed three members to the National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, bypassing fierce opposition from Republicans who claim the agency has leaned too far in favor of unions.
    The appointments came just hours after Obama used a similar move to install former Ohio Atty. Gen. Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
    Both moves infuriated GOP leaders, who threatened legal action and warned that Obama was setting a dangerous precedent by ignoring the will of Congress. Union leaders praised the decision, saying it was a legitimate response to Republican gridlock.

    Not bad for a crypto-Republican Wall Street lapdog.

  7. 7.

    JPL

    @Jenny: I looked at all 100 plus pictures that TMZ had just to make sure he wasn’t hiding some fat. Maybe I should double check.

  8. 8.

    GregB

    @Jenny:

    I see President Obama is brainwashing the next generation by teaching the younglings how to do the terrorist fist bump.

  9. 9.

    pragmatism

    drunken nye conspiracy conversation: the gop slate of clowns for POTUS is evidence that the GOP is running out the clock until 12/21/12 when planet X/niburu/pole shift/alignment with galactic equator/EMP kills us all except for the “producers”.
    ain’t no conspiracy talk like drunken conspiracy talk.

  10. 10.

    The Moar You Know

    Oh. I thought you meant we were all going to die.

    Got the “Made in USA” mug. Bust that out whenever my wingnut MIL comes over. Surprised she hasn’t thrown it into a wall yet.

  14. 14.

    FlipYrWhig

    I heard that every yard sign has a transponder in it so that anyone who messes with the sign gets hit by a drone.

  17. 17.

    Mike Goetz

    He’s not even defying the will of Congress. He’s defying the will of a few mulish waterheads in one half of a bicameral legislature.

    Let ’em taste a little Presidential gooch already.

  18. 18.

    Anne Laurie

    Sorry, Cole — this was not on the dashboard when I started my post.

    Speaking of BJ ActBlue widgets… somebody with better tech skills promised me one for Elizabeth Warren, but I don’t believe that’s happened yet. I’d email him with a reminder, but I’ve been told he doesn’t appreciate emails…

    ETA: Needs the “Proud to Be A Democrat” category, too also.

  20. 20.

    arguingwithsignposts

    Has there been a president who left office with noticeably more girth than he entered in the last 50 years or so? I imagine the global geopolitical stress alone would burn off the pounds.

  24. 24.

    lamh35

    I’ve already been giving directly to the campaign. With all the trouble that Romneys superpac was able to give Gingrich, I’ve been seriously contemplating contributing to an Obama superpac. There is one I heard about that was started by a group of African Americans who plans to use the funds to target people of color and use the funds to register more people of color and work to get out the vote when it’s needed. I can’t remember the name, but I read about it anyone heard of it?

  25. 25.

    Mnemosyne

    I think you can boost the ceiling for Warren. Lots of us Obots are also super-enthusiastic about Warren.

    And now I can make Yutsano jealous by telling him I got a hug from my Big Boss today. And a peck on the cheek, too. :-) Even though he wasn’t entirely sure who the heck I was and why I was there.

  28. 28.

    Montysano

    Both moves infuriated GOP leaders, who threatened legal action and warned that Obama was setting a dangerous precedent by ignoring the will of Congress.

    Not only did he ignore Congress, but Obama technically violated the constitution as well. This is a good thing. Let’s allow this “pro forma session” bullshit to go to the courts, and then see what comes out the other end. This constant obstruction of nominations needs to stop.

  29. 29.

    gnomedad

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    Both moves infuriated GOP leaders, who threatened legal action and warned that Obama was setting a dangerous precedent by ignoring the will of Congress.

    pourmecoffee notes:

    Reagan used recess appointments to undermine legal services for the poor.

  30. 30.

    opie jeanne

    @Yutsano: Thanks for the link to the explanation of the Washington state caucus thing.

    I knew that it was going to be an Iowa-type caucus instead of a primary, but I couldn’t find a link to anything more specific, and your link helped.

    I was kind of thinking of showing up at a local Republican caucus and voting in the straw poll, if it works that way. I think it does. Should be entertaining unless I have problems controlling my mouth.

  31. 31.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    Fundraising, schmundraising! I say we start up a Balloon Juice SuperPAC!

  34. 34.

    Paddy

    @lamh35: Might be these guys, 1911 United–

    The committee is backed by two large, historically black fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi, both of which celebrated their centennials last year.

    The 1911 United super PAC will likely work to “organize and deploy” black voters — particularly potential first-time voters — in support of Obama, said Skinner, a long-time Washington, D.C.-based political organizer who’s a mechanical engineer by trade. He notes that the group intends to make significant use of phone banking and social media to achieve this goal.

    *Added- FWP

  35. 35.

    hitchhiker

    He can’t ignore the will of congress if congress refuses to hold a vote. How do we know what their will is with respect to these nominees, beyond the desire not to vote either way? Congress could have exerted its will if it wanted to.

  36. 36.

    JPL

    What’s the difference between giving to your PAC and giving to candidates directly? I never really understood that considering my donation is small.

  37. 37.

    Mnemosyne

    @Montysano:

    I can’t be the only one who realizes that this is a whole set of maneuvers that started with the debt ceiling announcement, right?

    “I’m going to raise the debt ceiling … what, what’s that, you guys are out of session? I need to change that date to when you return to Washington? Great, now I can make all of these recess appointments I wanted to do since you guys are out of session and all.”

    Heh.

  40. 40.

    lamh35

    @FlipYrWhig: @lamh35:

    Here is is: 1911 United, a new super PAC, backs Barack Obama

    President Barack Obama has a new, moneyed supporter in this new year — a super PAC dedicated to mobilizing black voters in key swing states…

    Calling itself 1911 United, the super PAC is aiming to raise $1.5 million during the election cycle and train its efforts on Colorado, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, committee treasurer Sinclair Skinner told POLITICO…

    The committee is backed by two large, historically black fraternities, Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi, both of which celebrated their centennials last year.
    The 1911 United super PAC will likely work to “organize and deploy” black voters — particularly potential first-time voters — in support of Obama, said Skinner, a long-time Washington, D.C.-based political organizer who’s a mechanical engineer by trade. He notes that the group intends to make significant use of phone banking and social media to achieve this goal.

    Broadcast media messages are a possibility, but “we’re really going to focus on working with the people directly,” he said.

    ETA: I see Paddy got here first…thx.

  41. 41.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    At least we can now say Obama’s Chicago Thug Tyrant Recess Appointments were endorsed by very frightened soon to be former Senator Scott Brown:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/a-telling-sign-scott-brown-comes-out-in-support-of-cordray-recess-appointment/2012/01/04/gIQA8r68aP_blog.html

    “I support President Obama’s appointment today of Richard Cordray to head the CFPB. I believe he is the right person to lead the agency and help protect consumers from fraud and scams. While I would have strongly preferred that it go through the normal confirmation process, unfortunately the system is completely broken. If we’re going to make progress as a nation, both parties in Washington need to work together to end the procedural gridlock and hyper-partisanship.”

  43. 43.

    Montysano

    @Mnemosyne:

    Great, now I can make all of these recess appointments I wanted to do since you guys are out of session and all.”

    By use of a pro forma session, the Senate is technically in session. Within minutes of the appointment of Cordray, the wingnuts started howling for impeachment.

    The Constitution gives the POTUS the authority to adjourn Congress, but that’s a fairly extreme maneuver, one that Obama apparently didn’t want to use. As I commented above, I think he’s willing to test the constitutionality of the pro forma session in court, and if so, good on him.

  44. 44.

    Valdivia

    I just found that the Obama team, always hip and savvy, just launched their own instagram account. Funny to see how plugged in they are.

  45. 45.

    kindness

    I already donated to the Warren ActBlue over at GOS but I will do so here as well. You just have to wait till next pay day.

  47. 47.

    Nellcote

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    At least we can now say Obama’s Chicago Thug Tyrant Recess Appointments were endorsed by very frightened soon to be former Senator Scott Brown:

    Having credible challengers will do more to move politicians than ows can dream of.

  48. 48.

    Mnemosyne

    @Montysano:

    I think that’s definitely what the administration is testing, and this is the perfect example: if the pro-forma session doesn’t allow for any actual business to be done, can Congress really be said to be “in session”? Either they’re just on a temporary break and can reconvene at a moment’s notice to vote on the debt ceiling, or they’re in recess and Obama can make recess appointments.

    I think even the Roberts court would have a hard time splitting that baby in favor of the Republicans being simultaneously allowed to not conduct any business but insist that they’re “really” in session.

  49. 49.

    FlipYrWhig

    @eemom: I mean, obviously. If you disagree, you’d probably like to watch Bradley Manning get eaten by fire ants with little Obama sunrise logos on them.

  52. 52.

    WaterGirl

    I think Elizabeth Warren deserves a goal of 10k.

    I mean, come on, Cole, we could fine everyone 10.00 per comment for posting on the “High School” thread and get to 10k just with that!

    @kindness: Hookers and booze. At that level, they don’t make you choose.

  53. 53.

    Warren Terra

    @JPL:
    You can give more to a PAC than you can to a campaign (if you can give so much that this is an issue). Money given to a campaign is generally more useful (it’s easier to full up PAC coffers with unregulated donations than official campaign coffers with limited donations, and there are things that the PAC can’t legally do, most obviously coordinate with the campaign). There are some things the PAC can do that the official campaign can’t, even with the same amount of money – most obviously, it can smear opponents without leaving any fingerprints that lead back to its preferred candidate, or indeed that lead anywhere at all.

    It also used to be the case that the least regulated PACs were limited in what they could say (they could say Joe Schmoe is the messiah or that he tortures puppies, but couldn’t ask you to vote for or against him), but I think that’s fallen by the wayside in our brave new world.

  54. 54.

    lacp

    @arguingwithsignposts: So that would indicate – since Republicans favor anything opposite Barack Obama – their likely presidential candidate this year will be…Zombie William Howard Taft!

  55. 55.

    Warren Terra

    By the way, John, did you ever get any outreach from the campaign for bundling $50,000 in 2008?

  58. 58.

    jl

    @Libby: Thanks for the tip. If I can make a nice headache for Cole by giving to a list of good Dem candidates, man, this will be fun. I’ll up my contribution.

  59. 59.

    Hungry Joe

    I just ponied up $25 to each.

    This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around.

  60. 60.

    Jenny

    I won’t donate to Elizabeth Warren. Not one dime. She opposes legalizing pot. As long as she does, all my donations go to Ron Paul.

  61. 61.

    Valdivia

    @Mnemosyne:

    me too! the funny thing is that I discovered it just playing with the tags today but I see it’s already on TPM. I do hope they start cleaning the comments though, all the Paulites (I have a few who follow me, I out of principle, don’t follow them back) were going on and on about how he is a killer of children. So you see, the conversation follows me everywhere :)

  65. 65.

    ruemara

    I refuse to donate until Elizabeth Warren visits me for tea and scones to confirm that she is truly happy running for Senate and Barack Obama did not hold her corgie hostage to force her to step down from her post as de facto head of the CFPB.

    Besides, I threw in my last $3 until payday over the holiday. I’ll do what I can. If I sell a few things, I can make charity and pac donation goals.

  66. 66.

    Valdivia

    @WaterGirl:

    it’s a photography sharing social network, it allows you to edit a picture (with filters) and post it. Since all my pictures also go directly to flickr you can see examples here (I do architecture photography):

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/valdivia2010/

    While it started as new hobby I have stayed because the community is just fantastic (like here).

  67. 67.

    Cat Lady

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    Now, see, this is how you push pols and policy to the left. You primary them and/or find great candidates with a message that resonates, instead of posting OBAMA WORSE THAN BUSH aaaargglbaaargle eleventy!1111 comments in shitty blogs.

  68. 68.

    gwangung

    Now, see, this is how you push pols and policy to the left. You primary them and/or find great candidates with a message that resonates, instead of posting OBAMA WORSE THAN BUSH aaaargglbaaargle eleventy!1111 comments in shitty blogs.

    Isn’t the lesson “Find the fabulous candidate FIRST”? Seems to me that solves a lot of problems…

  69. 69.

    tBone

    @WaterGirl:

    I am, apparently not plugged in at all. What is instagram?

    A photo sharing service popular with iPhone-toting hipsters. Personally I think the campaign was behind the curve here; they should have started an Instagram account at least 6 months ago if they really wanted to be in the Kool Kidz Klub.

    @ruemara:

    I refuse to donate until Elizabeth Warren visits me for tea and scones to confirm that she is truly happy running for Senate and Barack Obama did not hold her corgie hostage to force her to step down from her post as de facto head of the CFPB.

    I refuse to donate to her until she legalizes pot and personally dismantles America’s drone fleet. Otherwise, Ron Paul all the way.

  70. 70.

    Jenny

    The CIA is injecting us with computer chips to track our movements.

    Yet, only Ron Paul has the courage to expose this.

  71. 71.

    srv

    John, if you’ll raise the Warren one to $10K, I’ll dollar match the first $250. I can’t believe BJ can’t raise that in 6 months.

  72. 72.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @ruemara:

    Well, I refuse to donate to Obama because the spineless bastard refuses to rename the month of December in honor of my deceased cat. True, I haven’t asked him, but that’s such a trivial detail in the great scheme of things.

  73. 73.

    tBone

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    Well, I refuse to donate to Obama because the spineless bastard refuses to rename the month of December in honor of my deceased cat.

    That’s a shame. I was looking forward to celebrating next Christmas on the 25th of Fluffy McPitterpaws.

  74. 74.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @tBone:

    DeadWhitePu.ssyMonth, please. I just don’t see why any reasonable politician would object. Obama is clearly a closet GOP slave of Big Money!

  75. 75.

    Nathaniel

    John you should raise the obama to 200,000, i think that is the going rate for an ambassadorship especially when combined with whatever you raised last time.

  77. 77.

    WaterGirl

    @tBone: Well, I am an iPhone toting something, though I wouldn’t call myself a hipster. Now that you tell me what it is, I think I may have downloaded that app when I got my iPad, then didn’t do anything with it.

    @Valdivia: I don’t understand your comment about a community, but maybe I will once I check out the app that I think I already have on my iPad.

  78. 78.

    Anne Laurie

    @kindness:

    Will that get John free hookers at the convention?

    If John sends Kay as the Official Balloon Juice Rep (like we did for Netroots Nation), will she front-page pictures of the male strippers?

  79. 79.

    redshirt

    I been sporting my 2012 O bumper sticker for months – goes nice with my 2008 sticker.

    Got three full campaign packs, a “Born in the USA” T-Shirt, and some other goodies as gifts for the family.

    I Loves me some Obama!

  80. 80.

    Cain

    Yep, it’s that time of year.. and yours truly is already heading in to start the volunteering. But this time, I’m doing more of the leadership thing. Doing more organizing and less door to door, and what not.

    Oregon will probably go O, considering that I’ve seen Obama 2012 stickers starting back as August. But right now, we have to get Susan Bonamici elected to take over David Wu’s seat.

    Mean while, Greg Walden the lone republican has been getting a beating from “Letters to the Editors” about various votes he’s been doing.

    Time to kick it in gear and elect some progressives!

  82. 82.

    5x5

    Thank you! Your timing was perfect; after I saw the news today, I decided I had to send in a donation.

  84. 84.

    FlipYrWhig

    @coloradoblue: Is that like Shirley Jackson’s _The Lottery_? You vote for a guy, and then that poor sap gets stuck having to be the war criminal? Sounds dystopi-riffic!

  85. 85.

    Valdivia

    @WaterGirl:

    oh that is a nice community there, supportive. I have met quite a few people this way even, both here in dc and nyc where I go back often.

    Kind of what kept me coming back to this blog the sense of community

    ETA my user name there is the same as on flickr so if you wend up browsing you can find me there :)

  87. 87.

    kindness

    @Anne Laurie:

    If John sends Kaygoes as the Official Balloon Juice Rep (like we did for Netroots Nation), will shewe get front-page pictures of John performing as a male stripper?

    fify

  88. 88.

    tBone

    @WaterGirl:

    Well, I am an iPhone toting something, though I wouldn’t call myself a hipster. Now that you tell me what it is, I think I may have downloaded that app when I got my iPad, then didn’t do anything with it.

    No worries, I’m an iToter myself. And I meant no disrepect to @Valdivia either. Instagram just brings out my inherent get-off-my-lawn-ness for some reason. Probably because I listen to a lot of tech podcasts and some of the most insufferable d-bag tech pundits never shut up about it.

  89. 89.

    DanielX

    @MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson:

    Both moves infuriated GOP leaders, who threatened legal action and warned that Obama was setting a dangerous precedent by ignoring the will of Congress.

    That alone is almost enough for an after cigarette. Why, you’d almost think that any president in oh, the last thirty years has had to pay a real political price for ignoring the will of anybody at all. Aside from Bill Clinton, who was flayed for offending the clergy of High Broderism.

  90. 90.

    MildlyAmusedRainbowPerson

    @DanielX:

    I just hope Obama turns to them and says:

    You don’t think, you know, we care about our open society, you think this bubble fantasy, we’re just gonna to let it grow? Well, Suck. On. This.

  92. 92.

    Valdivia

    @tBone:

    ha! not offended at all, I am not a techie of any sort, and actually don’t even do social networks–no twitter, or book of faces–this is my first foray and I just enjoy that it has given me an outlet for a previously unknown knack at something. I got on it early enough that when it went massive I was already there.

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